Tongue or shaft releaser.



H. w. CATER.

TONGUE 0R SHAFT RELEASER. APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1914. LIMA. PatentedDec.14,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

COLUMBIA PLANDQRAPH CO.. wmnmo'rou, D. c.

H. W. CATER.

TONGUE OR SHAFT RELEASER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14. 1914.

L1,%. Patented Dec.14,1915.

2 SHEET$SHEET 2- %iha comm HARVEY W. earns, or SMEADLEY, ARKANSAS.

TONGUE OR SHAFT RELEASER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec, 1 .1, 1915,

Application filedMay 14, 1914. Serial No. 838,532.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IIARVEY W. Caren, acitizen. of the United States, residing at Smeadley, in the county ofJohnson and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Tongue or Shaft Releasers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to vehicles. and more particularly to a deviceapplicable for use upon pleasure vehicles such as buggies, surreys, orthe like, which device is adapted for quick and convenient release ofthe tongue or shaft of the vehicle to permit of the release of the horsefrom the vehicle in cases where the horse becomes excited and runs away,or it is desired to releasethe horse from the vehicle for otherpurposes.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a device asabove specified, which is extremely simple in construction, embodying asfew parts as possible to in sure the proper and proficient performing ofthe functions of the same, and it embodies substantially a pair of jawswhich are pivotally connected with respect to each other, and adaptedfor holding the shafts therebetween, for attaching the shafts or tongueto the vehicle, and which jaws are controllable by a single pullingmovement upon a cord for the release of the shafts or tongue therefrom.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consistsin such novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, ref erence will be had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference designatelike or corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in whichFigure 1 is a plan view showing a fragment of the running gears of avehicle having the improved shaft or tongue releaser applied thereto,Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of a part of the tonguereleasing mechanism, Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the mechanism asshown in Fig. 2, Fig. 4: is a side elevation of the horse releasingmechanism, Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the shaft releasing mechanismshowing the pivoted jaws open for release of the shaft or tonguetherefrom, Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view on the line (56 of Fig. 2,Fig. 7 is a cross sectional view on the line 7-? of Fig. l, and Fig. 8is a cross sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates the front aXleof a vehicle of any ordinary type, such as a buggy or the like, whichhas secured thereto by staples or U-shaped bolts 9 the jaws The axle 1has the jaws 3 secured thereto adjacent its opposite ends, so as toreceive the reduced ends 1 of the shafts 5, between the arms (5 and '7thereof, which arms are formed upon the outer end of the jaws 3, by thebifurcation or recessing of the jaws. The jaws 3 are rigidly connectedto the axle 1 by the Li -shaped bolts 2, and they have their outer endsprovided with semi-circular recesses S, which recesses extend transversely across the under side of the arms 6 and 7 and aline with thesemi-circular recesses 9,'which are formed in the pivoted jaws 10. Thejaws 10 are pivotally supported adjacent the rigid jaws 3, by brackets11, which brackets are secured to the aws 3 and depend therefromsupporting the aws 1.0, which are pivotally connected to the lower endsof the brackets, immediately below the rigid jaws 3, as is clearly shownin various figures of the drawings. The pivoted jaws 10 havetheircorners 12, which are the upper rear corners thereof, rounded, so as topermit of the pivotal movement of the jaws 10 adjacent the jaws 3.

The jaws 3 and 10 are provided with re cesses 11 and 15 formed thereinintermediate their ends, which recesses aline one with the other whenthe meeting faces of the jaws are in abutting engagement one with theother, or when the jaws are closed, as is clearly shown in Figs. 4: and6 of the drawings. The recesses 14: and 15 have helical springs 16mounted therein, which springs tend to hold the jaws 10 in an outward orextended position as is clearly shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The pivoted jaws 10 have pivotally connected to their under surface asat 18 resilient levers 19, which have arms 20 formed thereuponintermediate their end and eX- tending transversely to the body portionof the levers. The arms 20 normally engage the upper surface of therigid jaws 3, and hold the pivoted jaws 10 in abutting engagement withthe rigid jaws 3, against the tension of the springs 16, when they arein engagement with the upper surfaces of the jaws 3, as is clearly shownin Fig. 7 of the drawings. The levers 19 have flexible members 22connected to their upper outer terminal ends, which flexible membersextend parallel with the front axle l for a short distance toward thecenter of the vehicle, and they extend upwardly and are positionedwithin the vehicle in any place from whence access may be convenientlygained thereto by the party driving the vehicle, so that when it isdesired to release the horse or the shafts or pole from the vehicle, theflexible members 22 are pulled inwardly, which moves the levers 19,causing the arms 20 to move out of engagement with the upper surfaces ofthe rigid jaws 3, which permits the spring 16 to force the pivoted jaws10 outwardly out of engagement with the rigid jaws 3, which will permitof the reduced ends 4: of the shaft 5 of the vehicle to be drawnforwardly out of the bifurcated portion of the arms, and also permit thebolt 23 and the sleeve 24: to pass out of the semi-circular recesses 8and 9. The sleeve or thimble 24 is inserted through the opening 25formed in the reduced ends 4 of the shafts 5, and it extendstransversely through the semi-circular recesses 8 and 9, forming meansfor securely connecting the shafts to the axle l of the vehicle when thejaws are held together.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of themethod of operation of the improved tongue or shaft releaser will bereadily apparent to those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains and, while in the foregoing the principle of the operationhas been described, together with various fertures of construction, itis to be understood that certain minor features of construction,combination, and arrangement of parts may be altered to suit practicalconditions, provided such alterations are comprehended within the scopeof what is claimed.

What is claimed is:

The combination with a front axle of a vehicle, of a pair of jawsrigidly secured at opposite ends of said axle, and brackets secured toopposite sides of said jaws and depending therefrom, movable jawspivotally secured between the brackets and having their pivotal endsrounded but movable therein, the outer ends of said jaws pro vided withcircular recesses to correspond with one another forming a completecircle for holding a shaft therein, the inner faces of each of said jawsprovided with recesses intermediate their ends, a coil spring secured ineach of said recesses, U-shaped b 'ackets having projecting portionsextending therefrom, the arms of the U-shaped brackets engaging thepivotal and rigid jaws and hingedly secured to the pivotal jaw members,flexible connections secured. to the projections of the U.-shapedbrackets for moving the same out of engagement with the rigid jawswhereby the lower jaws would be forced downwardly by the springsdisposed therebetween and release the shafts held therein.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARVEY \V. (EATER.

lVitnesses M. S. PARK, J. J. lVAYMIRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

